Prospecting in sales is about two things: skill and consistency. The best OOH sales professionals know that even when business is thriving, they need to stay disciplined in their prospecting efforts to keep the pipeline full. Here are five essential techniques to help you attract high-quality prospects.
Proven Prospecting Techniques
1. Make Consistent Prospecting Part of Your Routine
A common issue leaders notice in OOH sales is a lack of new, high-quality leads in the funnel. More often than not, this is due to an absence of consistent prospecting behavior. Even if your schedule is packed, devote a small part of each day to prospecting. Like anything valuable, momentum is key—don’t let a single day go by without reaching out to potential leads.
2. Increase Your Prospecting Activity
If you have added prospecting to your routine that is great, but you may not be doing enough of it. Think in numbers: if you make 50 calls, you may have 10 conversations, which might lead to one new meeting. So, if your weekly goal is five new prospect meetings, you’re looking at 250 calls. Your exact numbers will vary by region and market type, but there’s no getting around it: prospecting is the core of any OOH sales role. There are countless tasks vying for your attention, but your actions reflect your priorities. Is prospecting at the top of your list?
3. Set a Goal for “No” Responses
Many salespeople approach calls with the aim of booking an appointment, but relying on an elusive “yes” can feel overwhelming and unproductive. Try focusing on collecting “no” responses instead. If your goal is to gather 30 “no” answers in a day, you’ll relieve the pressure, build resilience, and likely stumble upon a “yes” or two in the process.
4. Stop talking about you, your company, your locations, digitals, creative or service Your prospect doesn’t care about you, your company, or your locations, etc. They care if you can fix their problem. And they don’t pay you for your billboards, creative or service. They pay for solutions. Get used to framing conversations this way: “these are the types of problems I can help you fix.” Your prospect doesn’t have three minutes to learn about you or your product. But they’ll make time to learn how to overcome a meaningful problem.
5. Follow “The Formula” for Qualifying Prospects
When you find a prospect with a specific problem that OOH can solve, and they’re motivated to address it, you’re no longer talking to just another lead—you have a qualified prospect. Every prospecting attempt should follow this formula, focusing not on pitching but on qualifying. Avoid lengthy introductions and company history, and focus on setting appointments with those who are ready to discuss solutions.
Master these techniques, and your prospecting efforts will deliver real, sustainable results. Stay focused, keep the prospect at the center of the conversation, and watch your pipeline flourish.
Need help with sales skills or coaching to take your out of home company to the next level. Learn more about OOH Sales Mastery at oohmastery.com or Contact Dan Nausley at dan.nausley@sandler.com, 423.702.5579.
___
Lisa & Dan Nausley and Reggie Piercy of Sandler Chattanooga have developed the OOH Sales Mastery Program after more than a decade of training/coaching thousands of OOH Operators across the country in sales, leadership, and executive coaching.
